Support structure for turn wheel of cable-driven chair lift

ABSTRACT

An improved turn wheel support structure for cable-driven chair lift, wherein the support structure is provided with a safety device in the form of a pair of wheel retention plates each having a saddle portion for grasping and retaining the hub portion of the return wheel should the shaft for the wheel break, the design being such that the wheel will be urged by the cable into the saddle portions of the plates should a fracture of the shaft occur.

United States Patent 1191 Bintrim SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR TURN WHEEL OF CABLE-DRIVEN CHAIR LIFT [75] Inventor: Donald D. Bintrim, Harmony, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Berry Metal Company, Harmony,

[22] Filed: Oct. 31, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 302,612

[52] US. Cl 104/191, 308/1 R, 198/177 [51] Int. Cl B61b 7/00 [58] Field of Search... 104/117, 189, 190, 191, 192; 254/197 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 363,545 5/1887 Samuel 104/191 935,586 9/1909 Case 104/189 Jan. 29, 1974 8/1954 Peter 104/191 7/1968 Goforth et a1. 104/189 X Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerR. B. Johnson Attorney, Agent, or Firml-lilmond O. Vogel et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT An improved turn wheel support structure for cabledriven chair lift, wherein the support structure is provided with a safety device in the form of a pair of wheel retention plates each having a saddle portion for grasping and retaining the hub portion of the return wheel should the shaft for the wheel break, the design being such that the wheel will be urged by the cable into the saddle portions of the plates should a fracture of the shaft occur.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 2 91974 SHEET 2 BF 2 SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR TURN WHEEL OF CABLE-DRIVEN CHAIR LIFT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains to the field of lifts such as, for instance, ski lifts and in particular relates to the construction of the bull wheel support structure for the bull wheel of the ski lift structure which causes movement of the support cable of the chair lift conveyor. See as an example, U. S. Pat. No. 3,391,650.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art teaches the use of bull wheels for driving and guiding of the cable or as an idler return wheel for the cable but the prior art does not teach how to support the bull wheel if the shaft on which the bull wheel rotates should break or if there is a wheel mounting or pillow block failure. If the bull wheel were to fall from its support, this in turn would cause the cable to become loose and to become disconnected causing the lift chair to fall and, in all likelihood, cause injury to the passengers on these chairs. This invention seeks to obviate such difficulty.

SUMMARY It is a general object of this invention to provide for a safety feature on the turn wheel support structure of the cable bull wheel for cable-driven chair lifts.

Another object of this invention is to provide for a turn wheel support structure for the turn wheel of chair lift assemblies wherein the turn wheel support structure is provided with a saddle structure including a pair of saddle plates supporting the hub of the wheel in the event that the shaft carrying the wheel should break or the wheel mounting structure or pillow block should break so that the turn wheel can still support the cables and the chairs thereon after such a break or fracture.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from reference to the following description, appended drawings and attached claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a portion of the chair lift assembly including a turn wheel and its pedestaI;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the support structure for the turn wheel;

FIG. 4 is a partial elevational view of the support structure for the turn wheel; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and showing the saddle structure for supporting the turn wheel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the drawings, there is shown a portion of a skier chair lift conveyor which includes an endless cable 2 which carries a plurality of passenger carriers or chairs (not shown) attached at intervals along its length to support it for travel over a predetermined course by a rotatable turn wheel assembly 4 mounted on a suitable pillar or pedestal 6 by a wheel support structure 8. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cable 2 is driven in a direction toward and away from the wheel 4, as indicated by the arrows, over a pair of grounding sheaves 10 at the entrance to the bull wheel and the exit from the bull wheel. These grounding sheaves 10 are carried on the transverse boom 12 of the support structure 8 which is provided with a longitudinally extending main beam structure 14 which includes a pair of upper and lower arms 16 and 18. The upper arm 16 is provided with an upper pillow block 20 at the outer end thereof and the lower arm 18 is provided with a lower pillow block 22 at the outer end thereof, each pillow block cooperating to journal the shaft 24 which rotatively supports the wheel 4. The turn wheel or bull wheel structure 4 includes an outer annular rim or wheel frame 26 which is provided with a sheave portion for guiding the cable 2 and spokes 30 radiate from the central hub portion 32 of the wheel which surrounds the axle or shaft 24.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, each pillow block 20 or 22 is held to its respective fork arm 16 or 18 by suitable bolt means 34 through openings 37 on the back of the end plate 36 which is an upright plate at the extreme outer extremity of each fork arm. On the underside and at the extreme outer part of the upper fork arm 16 is welded by welds W a yoke plate or catcher element or retainer plate 38. The catcher or retainer plate is a flat plate that is provided with a cutout portion in the form of a journal seat or saddle 40 defining a slot 42 for entrapping the upper portion 44a of the wheel hub 44. The lower fork arm 18 at its outer extremity has attached to its top surface the retainer plate or catcher element 46 which is provided with a saddle portion 48 defining the hub retaining slot 50 for retaining the lower portion 44b of the hub 44. As in the case of the retainer plate 38, theretainer plate 46 is welded by welds W to its respective fork arm 18 and to the upright end plate 36 attached to the vertical end surface of the lower fork arm 18.

The wheel structure 4 is normally retained on the support structure 8 by having the axle 24 extend into and retained by the upper and lower bearing means or pillow blocks 20 and 22 with the axle extending through the hub portion 32. However, should the axle fracture or should the wheel mounting structure fail, the upper and lower hub portions 44a and 44b become entrapped within the saddle slot portions 42 and 50 and the upper and lower retainer plates 38 and 4,6 which act as a common structure to prevent further movement of the wheel structure 4 to the left. The wheel structure 4 cannot move to the right as the tension of the cable 2 urges the wheel hub 44 into the retaining structure. Thus, the wheel is held in place on its pedestal and, consequently, the lift chair suspended from the cable by lift hanger bars results in maintaining the lift chairs in a safe position even though the axle is broken. Consequently, the safety and welfare of the occupants in the chair is maintained.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a chair lift assembly a pedestal structure including a turn wheel support structure having a pair of upper and lower wheel carrying arms,

said upper arm having a wheel supporting end including an end member and upper bearing means supported thereby and a wheel catcher and retainer saddle member having an end portion defining an upper slotted saddle part,

said lower arm having a wheel supporting end including an end member and lower bearing means supported thereby and a wheel catcher and retainer saddle member having an end portion defining a lower slotted saddle part,

an axle member carried in the upper and lower bearing means,

a turn wheel being journaled about said axle member between said upper and lower arms,

said wheel having vertically extended enlarged hub portion extending above and below said wheel to define upper and lower hub portions, said upper hub portion being located adjacent said upper saddle part and said lower hub portion being adjacent said lower saddle part, each saddle part being adapted to catch and retain its respective hub portion upon inward and lateral movement of the wheel inwardly of the upper and lower arms.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and

the surfaces of said upper and lower saddle parts being spaced inwardly of the surfaces of the bearing means holding said axle member.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and

said both bearing means being spaced outwardly of said saddle parts.

4. In a chair lift assembly a pedestal structure including a turn wheel support structure having wheel carrying arm means,

said arm means including wheel bearing means carried at the end thereof,

an axle supported in said bearing means,

a turn wheel mounted on said axle,

wheel catcher and retainer means mounted on said arm means adjacent said bearing means and said wheel including hub means adapted to engage and be retained to said catcher and retainer means to prevent said wheel from leaving said arm means upon failure on said axle to support the wheel.

5. The invention according to claim 4, and

said bearing means including upper and lower bearmgs,

said retainer means including a pair of slotted saddle elements spaced apart from one another and adjacent said bearings,

said wheel having upper and lower projecting hub portions, each of said hub portions being adapted to be received and saddled within a respective saddle element attendant to trapping said wheel from moving further in toward said arm means.

6. The invention according to claim 5, and

retaining surfaces of the saddle elements being spaced inwardly of the retaining surfaces of the bearings.

7. The invention according to claim 5, and

said arm means including a first upper arm and a second lower arm spaced away from and underneath the first arm,

said saddle elements including a first saddle element mounted on the underside and at the end of said first arm and a second saddle element being mounted on top of and at the end of said second arm.

8. The invention according to claim 7, and

the upper bearing being spaced above the upper saddle element and the lower bearing being spaced below said lower saddle element, and

an upper end member carrying upper bearing and the upper saddle element and a lower end member carrying the lower bearing and the lower saddle element. 

1. In a chair lift assembly a pedestal structure including a turn wheel support structure having a pair of upper and lower wheel carrying arms, said upper arm having a wheel supporting end including an end member and upper bearing means supported thereby and a wheel catcher and retainer saddle member having an end portion defining an upper slotted saddle part, said lower arm having a wheel supporting end including an end member and lower bearing means supported thereby and a wheel catcher and retainer saddle member having an end portion defining a lower slotted saddle part, an axle member carried in the upper and lower bearing means, a turn wheel being journaled about said axle member between said upper and lower arms, said wheel having vertically exTended enlarged hub portion extending above and below said wheel to define upper and lower hub portions, said upper hub portion being located adjacent said upper saddle part and said lower hub portion being adjacent said lower saddle part, each saddle part being adapted to catch and retain its respective hub portion upon inward and lateral movement of the wheel inwardly of the upper and lower arms.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, and the surfaces of said upper and lower saddle parts being spaced inwardly of the surfaces of the bearing means holding said axle member.
 3. The invention according to claim 1, and said both bearing means being spaced outwardly of said saddle parts.
 4. In a chair lift assembly a pedestal structure including a turn wheel support structure having wheel carrying arm means, said arm means including wheel bearing means carried at the end thereof, an axle supported in said bearing means, a turn wheel mounted on said axle, wheel catcher and retainer means mounted on said arm means adjacent said bearing means and said wheel including hub means adapted to engage and be retained to said catcher and retainer means to prevent said wheel from leaving said arm means upon failure on said axle to support the wheel.
 5. The invention according to claim 4, and said bearing means including upper and lower bearings, said retainer means including a pair of slotted saddle elements spaced apart from one another and adjacent said bearings, said wheel having upper and lower projecting hub portions, each of said hub portions being adapted to be received and saddled within a respective saddle element attendant to trapping said wheel from moving further in toward said arm means.
 6. The invention according to claim 5, and retaining surfaces of the saddle elements being spaced inwardly of the retaining surfaces of the bearings.
 7. The invention according to claim 5, and said arm means including a first upper arm and a second lower arm spaced away from and underneath the first arm, said saddle elements including a first saddle element mounted on the underside and at the end of said first arm and a second saddle element being mounted on top of and at the end of said second arm.
 8. The invention according to claim 7, and the upper bearing being spaced above the upper saddle element and the lower bearing being spaced below said lower saddle element, and an upper end member carrying upper bearing and the upper saddle element and a lower end member carrying the lower bearing and the lower saddle element. 